Apparatus for forming tapered tubes.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

- A E. F. TAPEL.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TAPBRBD TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1904.

N0 'MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT EEicE.

EDWARD F. TAFEL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOJAMES (J. GORMLEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TAPERED TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,055, dated July 12,1904.

Application filed March 1, 1904:. Serial No. 195,978. (No model) To (ZZZwhmn it rnay conceive.-

' Be it known that I, EDWARD F. TAFEL, a citi- Zen of the United Statesof America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and 5State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Forming Tapered Tubes, of which the following is a'specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

I This invention has relation to apparatus for forming tapered tubes,and has for its object the provision of means whereby a strip of metalmay be easily and speedily shaped to circular form and welded so as toconstitute a hollowed tapered section with a butt-welded joint, suchsection being particularly applicable for use as a telegraph,electric-light, or

trolley pole.

In carrying my invention into effect 1 provide a former composed of thenumber of tapering concave-convex parts having abutting flanges unitedby bolts, and two series of the concave convex sections being hingedtogether and provided with suitable locking de- 5 vices,the wholeconstituting a complete former or die, into which a tapering strip ofmetal is drawn and by means of which the said strip is bent, so as toconstitute a tapering tube.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating 3 my invention, Figure 1 isaplan view of my improvement located in convenient proximity to aheating-furnace, the former being shown in its closed and lockedposition and with a blank or flat section of metal partly projectingfrom the furnace and about to be drawn into the former. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the former opened with the completed tube inposition therein. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the former on4 the line w w of Fig. 1 looking toward the narrower end thereof. Fig. 4is a perspective View of the wider end of the former, showing abell-mouth part which is applied to the wider end for the purpose offacilitating the entrance and preliminary formation of the end of thestrip or blank. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the latches bymeans of which the former is locked in its closed position, said figurebeing on an enlarged scale.

The former is composed of a suitable number of concavo-convex parts 1,each provided with semicircular flanges 2, united by bolts 3. Theseparts so united constitute two similar half -sections 4 5, which areconnected by hinges 6, arranged at suitable intervals along one of themeeting lines of the half-section, the half-sections being formed oneach side of the opposite meeting line with lugs 7 8, said lugs beingsimilarly shaped and pierced at 9 10. A latch 11, which is provided witha handle 12, is pivotally secured to the lug 7 by a pin 13, the saidlatch when the half-sections of the former are in closed positionengaging with the lug 8 and serving to lock the half-sections in theirclosed position. If necessary, when the latch 11 is in engagement withthe lug 8 a pin may be passed through the hole 10 in the lug to securethe latch against accidental disengagement from the lug. At the widerend of the former a bellmouth is arranged, composed of half-sections 1415, united to the adjacent parts of the former by half-flanges 16 17 oneside of the bell-mouth and of all the flanges of the former being cutaway on the side upon which the hinges are arranged, as shown at 18 19in Fig. at, so as to permit the former to open.

I construct the former in a plurality of sections for a variety ofreasons, among others because this construction facilitates the castingand obviates the difficulties attendant on making extremely large, andparticularly on making extremely long castings. Another reason is thatbeing made in sections asection or a half-section may be readily removedand replaced when broken or otherwise damaged.

Operation: The parts being constructed and arranged as above describedoperate in the followingmanner: A blank or section of skelp 20 ofsuitable length and of tapering configuration is heated to a suitabledegree in the furnace 21, and a chain 22 being attached thereto theskelp is drawn into the former,

the ends thereof being bent upwardly by contact with the sides of thebell-mouth on the end of the former. As the skelp or blank is drawngradually into the former its edges are curved upwardly and ultimatelymeet and become welded as soon as the skelp or blank has been drawnentirely into the former, and the blank is so treated, constituting inits completed shape the tapering tube 22 shown in Fig. 2. As soon as thetube has been completed the former is opened by throwing back thelatches 11, and the half-sections of the former are opened, as shown inFig. 2, and the completed tube is removed. After the tube has beenremoved the half-sections of the former are closed and the latches 11swung down over the lugs 8 and the operation'above described repeated.

The apparatus above described is particularly adapted for the formationof tubes intended to be used as telegraph-poles, trolleypoles,electric-lamp posts or in other appropriate situations and is speciallydevised for the purpose of forming tapering tubes havinglongitudinally-disposed ribs on their inner surfaces, the blank or skelp20 being provided with ribs 23, which when the blank is completed bydrawing it through the former are on the inside of the completed tube22.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of tapering tubes, consisting oftapering half-sections each comprising a plurality of sections, andmeans carried by each section of one of said half sections for lockingengagement with the sections of the other of said half-sections.

2. A device of the character described, comprising half-sections eachcomposed of a plurality of sections carrying at their ends abuttingfianges, means for detachably securing said flanges together, thesections of one halfsection being attached to the sections of the otherhalf-section by a hinge at one side and a catch at the opposite side,and a bell-mouth comprising half-sections each provided with flangesdetachably connected to those of the lirst-mentioned half-sections.

In testimony whereof I aliiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD F. T AFEL.

WVitnesses:

E. E. POTTER, K. 1-1. BUTLER.

